Chapter Text
Kai winced in the weak afternoon sunlight as he ducked through the door of the private jet and followed his sister down the stairs. His sunglasses weren’t doing much to shield him from the harsh glare, and he once again thought about how different it would be if he were human, or even a damphir. He looked up as his feet touched the tarmac and he saw Yeonjun standing at the base of the stairs watching him and Hiyyih closely before he turned to presumably do another sweep of the small airfield. Unlike Kai and Hiyyih, who were trying to avoid what little sunlight leaked through the small gaps between the clouds, Yeonjun seemed to bask in it. He looked effortlessly cool with his sunglasses resting on his head, pushing his hair back. Like the other damphirs on their security team, Yeonjun wore black tactical gear, though he had thrown on an oversized designer jacket that made him resemble the K-pop members Hiyyih set as her phone wallpaper.
“All clear!” one of damphirs called from across the landing strip where two SUVs were parked.
“Let’s go,” Yeonjun said, gesturing for Kai and Hiyyih to follow him closely as he started towards the cars. The windows in the SUV were tinted enough that they could take off their sunglasses without risking a migraine, and Kai slumped in his seat and sighed. Yeonjun looked back from where he sat in the passenger seat and said, “Are you okay?”
Kai nodded and said, “Yeah, just tired from the flights.”
“You can sleep for a bit if you want. It’ll take us at least half an hour to get to the school,” Yeonjun said after glancing at the GPS.
Kai glanced over at Hiyyih and saw her steadily typing away on her phone while nodding along to whatever song was blasting in her headphones. Kai turned back and leaned his head against the window as the driver pulled out onto a narrow road. He could see the rolling hills and fields stretch out for miles, beautiful and empty. He sighed softly again and wondered for the hundredth time that day how he had ended up here.
The simple answer was that he had gotten on a flight from New York to Seoul, and then he had been swiftly shepherded onto the private jet for a very short flight to whatever rural airfield they were driving away from now. The longer answer was harder for him to think about. Kai was no stranger to moving around, though his family’s nomadic lifestyle was almost unheard of for Moroi, especially royal ones who were heavily targeted by Strigoi. His father’s entertainment job had taken them from the U.S. to China to Korea before going back to the U.S. when Kai was in middle school. The constant moving took a toll on his parents’ marriage, though, and when his dad received an offer in Europe, his mom refused to follow. She stayed at Court with Kai and his two sisters while his dad continued to jet set around the world.
Kai hated living at Court. The old queen, Carmilla, took a special interest in his mom, taking her under her wing and even naming his mom as her successor. The queen also doted on Kai’s sisters, gifting them expensive jewelry and beautiful gowns for the countless balls held at Court. Kai’s family seemed to sparkle amongst the other royals, floating above the political scheming and fake niceties. Kai, on the other hand, was painfully shy and kept to the edges when he was forced to attend Court functions. He wished he could have traveled with his dad, but Strigoi attacks were becoming more frequent, and his mom refused to let him leave the protection the Court offered. Then, six months ago, the queen had died. His mom passed the trials and was given the title and the crown, and Kai’s life would never be the same again. He was forced to stand center stage with Lea and Hiyyih and endure the pandering of the other royal children trying to get into their good graces.
It didn’t last long, though, before anonymous threats against Kai and his sisters started popping up. They seemed harmless at first, well, as harmless as threatening letters can be, likely sent by another royal child jealous of the Huening siblings’ limelight. The last message, which had been written in blood on the wall outside of his family’s chambers, was much more concerning. That’s when his mom had decided to send him and Hiyyih as far away from court as possible, to her own former academy, for their own safety. Lea had refused to be sent anywhere, and since she was an adult, their mother and the guardians actually listened to her. Hiyyih had begged to be allowed to stay too, but seeing as they both were in an expensive SUV somewhere in the Korean countryside, she hadn’t been as persuasive. Kai hated living at court, and he was glad to be anywhere else. He felt a little guilty for being happy while Hiyyih was miserable.
Kai’s train of thought was interrupted as their car turned onto a narrow, bumpy road lined with trees. The sun was starting to set just as the large gate came into view. They had finally arrived at Saint Agatha’s Academy. There were no guardians stationed at the tall wrought-iron gate, but Kai saw their driver hold up what looked like a garage door opener. He clicked it and the gate swung open. Kai could feel the magic of the wards wash over him as they drove through, closely followed by the SUV behind theirs. The gate quickly shut behind them. They continued driving down a narrow road for another five minutes before another gate appeared. This one was more traditional with a tiled roof and large solid, wooden doors studded with iron. The gate was set into a high, stone wall that seemingly surrounded the entire school campus. Two guardians were stationed outside the gate, and the driver rolled down his window and called out as their SUV approached, “Jiho! How’s it going?”
“It’s boring as usual, Yongsun,” the guardian, Jiho, responded. “But you know how the day shifts are. Your arrival is the most exciting thing that’s happened. Do you really have the queen’s kids with you?”
“Yeah,” answered their driver, Yongsun, Kai only hearing his name for the first time just then. He felt a little bad that he hadn’t asked for it when they had gotten in the car.
“Do they even speak Korean?” Jiho asked, his voice curious.
“I think so,” Yongsun responded. “It would be strange to send them here if they didn’t.”
Before the guardians could speculate any further about Kai and Hiyyih, Yeonjun cleared his throat, interrupting them. “I believe the sun will be setting soon, and the Huenings have a meeting with the headmaster scheduled. We shouldn’t keep him waiting.” Kai was grateful for Yeonjun. He’d already had that thought about a million times during their trip to get to Saint Agatha’s, and he was sure he would continue to be grateful for Yeonjun’s presence as they settled into their new school.
“Ah, yes,” Yongsun said sheepishly, “sorry Guardian Choi. Open the gates for us Jiho. We can catch up later after your shift.” Jiho nodded and turned to say something to the other guardian before lifting a walkie-talkie up to his mouth. Presumably, he called whoever controlled the gate, because a second later they heard a loud buzzing sound, and the heavy doors swung inwards. They drove through the second gate and Kai got his first glimpse of Saint Agatha’s campus. The road ran alongside a large grassy lawn and lead up to a large stone building built in a traditional hanok style, the roof tiles matching those that were on the gate.
“This is the main academic building for the upper campus,” Yongsun said to Yeonjun. “The Moroi and novice dorms are tucked back behind it, and the lower campus is set back even further on the property. You pass by a beautiful little pond next to the temple on the walk between the campuses.” Yeonjun nodded and made a low noise to indicate he was listening. “The headmaster’s office is in this building, so I’ll drop you off here in front. You said he’s expecting you?”
“Yes,” Yeonjun answered. “I believe he said his secretary will be meeting us upon our arrival. Thanks for picking us up from the airfield.”
“It’s no problem!” Yongsun answered. “It was a nice change of pace to get off campus for a bit. It gets pretty monotonous here.”
The car pulled around to the steps leading up to the main entrance of the school and came to a smooth stop. Kai cleared his throat and said, “Thank you for the ride,” and bowed his head towards Yongsun before opening his door to get out. He heard Hiyyih quietly copy him before her car door opened too. Yeonjun was already grabbing their large suitcases out of the trunk before Kai could help. He shouldered his backpack and grabbed the handle of his own suitcase and started walking towards the stairs.
“Hiyyih, leave your suitcases there, I’ll carry them up,” Yeonjun said from behind Kai. He turned around to see Hiyyih struggling to lift one of her giant hard shell suitcases. Yeonjun rushed over to her and took the bag, lifting it easily as if Hiyyih hadn’t overstuffed it with all of her worldly possessions.
“Hyung,” Kai called out, “can you help me with my bag too? It’s so heavy.” He tried to hold in his laughter, but broke out into giggles at the face Yeonjun made.
“Ya!” Yeonjun responded exasperatedly. “You have muscles, Kai. You can carry your own bag up one measly flight of stairs.” Kai laughed loudly again before hefting his bag up and starting towards the ornate front doors of the school.
A few of the guardians who had ridden in the second SUV helped Yeonjun carry the rest of the suitcases and lead them into the school. The front doors opened into a grand entryway with marble-tiled floors and a double staircase with blood-red carpet runners leading up to the second floor. Kai didn’t see any students milling about, though it was still a bit early in the “day” as the sun hadn’t fully set yet. A willowy Moroi woman approached them from a hallway to their right, her heals clicking on the tiles.
“Hello,” she called out to them, bowing politely. Her voice was pleasant enough, Kai thought. “My name is Kim Seoah. I’m Headmaster Im’s assistant. Please follow me and I’ll lead you to his office. Welcome to Saint Agatha’s Academy.”
They followed her back down the hallway she had come from. No one said anything, only their footsteps and the rolling wheels of their suitcases made any noise. They passed by several closed doors before Seoah stopped in front of an identical door to all of the others in the hall. She opened the door and beckoned them to follow after her. It seemed to be an office with an L-shaped desk placed in front of the large windows along the back wall. Kai could barely see any of the light from the sunset through the thick window tinting that was common in Moroi architecture. There was another closed door inside the office, though it had ornate carvings of nature motifs, unlike the plain doors out in the hallway.
“You can leave your bags in here for now,” said Seoah, gesturing to an empty space in the back corner near the desk. “Once you’ve met with the headmaster, we’ll get your class and dorm assignments squared away. Please follow me.” She turned to the ornate door, knocked perfunctorily, and waited. A faint, “Come in,” sounded from the room beyond, and Seoah opened the door and gestured for them to enter.
Headmaster Im’s office was grand. It had the same high ceilings and large windows that Seoah’s office did, but the walls were covered in a rich, pattered silk wallpaper above dark-stained wainscoting. There were heavy, velvet drapes tied back from the windows. The headmaster’s desk was another example of ornate woodcarving and he had a gleaming name plate with inlaid mother-of-pearl. The sleek, modern look of a large computer monitor seemed to clash with the rest of the office decor, but it was an apt depiction of the Moroi themselves, tradition begrudgingly making room for modern innovation.
“Welcome,” said Headmaster Im. “Please come in and have a seat. I hope you aren’t too weary from your travel.” Kai looked over to Hiyyih, made eye contact with her, and they stepped forward into the room together. There were two leather guest chairs placed in front of the desk, and they both sat down gingerly. Yeonjun stood behind them and Seoah moved to stand slightly behind the headmaster, a legal notepad and pen in her hands. The remaining guardians who had helped with their bags hadn’t entered the headmaster’s office.
Headmaster Im steepled his fingers together, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, and he looked at them with shrewd, dark eyes. He looked a bit older than Kai and Hiyyih’s mother, his thick dark hair streaked with gray. His navy suit was plain but looked to be made from expensive material. “Welcome to Saint Agatha’s Academy, Kai and Bahiyyih. We are honored to have you attend our school, and we hope to provide you with all the tools you will need to lead an exemplary life, as your mother has since she graduated from this academy.” The headmaster smiled at them, though he was careful to keep his fangs politely concealed. “Kai you are in 11th grade and Bahiyyih 9th grade, correct?”
Kai cleared his throat and responded, “Yes, sir.” Hiyyih just nodded.
“And what academy did you attend in America? I am unfamiliar with the school system there,” the headmaster said.
Kai looked over at Hiyyih and she shot him a look that said she didn’t want to chit chat with their new headmaster. Kai turned back and said, “We didn’t attend an academy there, sir. The children who live at the royal court have tutors for different subjects instead. Sometimes we would have private lessons, and other times there would be a few of us grouped together.”
“How fascinating,” Headmaster Im said. “Our semester has only just started, so you have arrived at a good time. You’ve only missed the first two weeks of classes, so I don’t think you will have much trouble catching up. Your Korean sounds flawless, but we do offer language classes for foreign students if you feel it would help.”
“I don’t think we’ll be needing that, Headmaster,” Kai said laughing awkwardly. “We grew up speaking mostly Korean at home with our parents, even though we lived in a lot of different places.”
“Very well,” the headmaster replied, nodding to Seoah, and she wrote something down. “Have you both specialized?”
“Yes,” Kai replied looking back to Hiyyih, and she nodded at him. “I specialized in Earth, and Hiyyih just recently specialized in water. She didn’t get a chance to start with element-specific classes before we left court.” Kai saw Seoah quickly writing more notes.
“We will make sure you are both put in the proper elemental magic classes for your grade,” Headmaster Im said. “Bahiyyih, you’ve specialized a bit early compared to your classmates, so you will be placed in a class with all of the students in your grade who have specialized regardless of element. Don’t worry though, you will still receive element-specific instruction.” Hiyyih nodded at him, though Kai could tell she was a little disappointed. “Do either of you have any questions for me?” he asked them. Kai and Hiyyih shook their heads. “Very well then. Do not hesitate to come to me if you encounter any problems whatsoever. As I said before, we are honored to have Queen Yunhee’s children at Saint Agatha’s Academy.” Headmaster Im stood, Kai and Hiyyih scrambled to follow, and he inclined his head respectfully to them. They both bowed, and Seoah asked them to follow her back out to her office.
Kai and Hiyyih once again found themselves sitting in chairs across from a desk, though the guest chairs in front of Seoah’s desk were not quite as comfortable as the ones in the headmaster’s office. She typed away as they waited. Yeonjun was standing behind them again after he declined a chair of his own. Kai knew the long flight had been the hardest for Yeonjun who hated to sit still for any length of time. “Okay,” Seoah said as her fingers came to a stop on her keyboard. “I have a few questions for you both about your class schedules. Because the term has already started, some of the electives have already been filled, but there are some options. I also wanted to ask you about language classes. Most students take English, but as you’re both fluent, it might be more useful to choose a different class. Are you learning any additional languages? Besides English, we offer Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.”
“We’ve both been taking Japanese lessons at court, so I would like to continue with that here, if there’s room in the class,” Kai said.
“Would it be okay to pick a new language to learn?” Hiyyih asked, perking up for the first time since they had arrived at the school.
“Of course, Miss Huening,” Seoah said smiling gently at her.
“I’d like to start with Chinese then,” Hiyyih said smiling back. “We lived there when I was really young, but I don’t remember much of the language.”
Seoah typed some more and then turned back to them. “There are a few options for electives that still have space available. For both of you, the options include music, still-life painting, and computer science. Mr. Huening, there is also home economics available. Miss Huening, for you, there is also space in ceramics and introduction to sewing. Do you have any preferences?”
“Hmm,” Kai thought for a moment, “I think I’d like the music class.”
“I’d like introduction to sewing,” Hiyyih said, and Kai could tell she was starting to get excited about the variety of classes offered at the academy. Their private lessons at court were great, but there weren’t as many options available when it came to electives.
“Wonderful choices,” Seoah said typing a little more before she clicked her mouse a few times. Kai could hear a printer whir into life, and he realized it must have been stored under the desk. Seoah reached down and grabbed two sheets of paper and handed one to Kai and Hiyyih each. “Here are your class schedules for the term. If you have any concerns about the classes please let me know as soon as possible. At the end of the term you will meet with one of our guidance councilors to choose classes for the next term. They can also help advise you regarding possible college options, Mr. Huening, if that’s something you would like.”
Kai looked down at his schedule and read:
1st Period: Elemental Control - Earth 8pm - 8:50pm
2nd Period: Korean Literature 9pm - 9:50pm
3rd Period: Moroi Culture 2 10pm - 10:50pm
4th Period: Probability and Statistics 11pm - 11:50pm
~ Lunch ~ 12am -12:30am
5th Period: Japanese 1 12:40 am - 1:30 am
6th Period: Earth Science 1 1: 40 am - 2:30 am
7th Period: Music 2:40 am - 3:30 am
Seoah opened up one of her desk drawers and rummaged around until she straightened back up holding two key cards attached to lanyards. “We have already set up dorm rooms for you both. Normally, due to numbers, Moroi students would have a roommate, but because you arrived after the start of term, and due to your…,” she trailed off for a moment. “Status,” she continued delicately, “we thought it would be better for you to have your own rooms. You will also be issued a school laptop, it should be in your room already, and there will be instructions for how to create an account. You can always contact the campus tech support if you have any issues. There will also be a week’s worth of school uniforms in your rooms. Your measurements were sent by the court tailors, but if you need a different size please let one of the dorm matrons know. There are laundry rooms on each floor of the dorm for your use, and the matrons can help if you have any problems with the machines.”
“There is a cafeteria here in the main building for the high school students, and there is another one in the middle school building for you Miss Huening. Breakfast is served from 6pm to 7:30pm on week days, and from 6pm to 8pm on weekends. Classes run from 8pm to 3:30am, and dinner is served from 5am to 6:30am. Curfew goes from 8am to 5pm. You need to be checked in at your dorm at the start of curfew unless there is an emergency. There is a phone number on the back of the dorm key card,” she gestured to the cards attached to the lanyards which were now laying on her desk, “that you can call if there is an emergency. If you are late for curfew more than three times you will be issued detention, so please be conscious of the time. In the cafeterias there are feeder rooms which are open from 6pm to 7am. There are also feeder rooms in every Moroi dorm which are open at all times.” Seoah paused and smiled at them again. “I know I’m throwing a lot of information at you right now, but if you forget anything or need any additional information, I’m always here to help. The dorm matrons and your teachers are also available and willing to help you with whatever you might need, so please let someone know if you have any questions or concerns.”
Seoah stood up and walked out from behind her desk. She held out a lanyard to both of them, and gestured to their bags. “Let’s grab your things and I will have someone show you to your rooms.” Kai and Hiyyih both went to collect their bags, Yeonjun grabbed the larger of Hiyyih’s suitcases in addition to his own, and they made their way out into the hallway. Seoah stood there talking to two guardians who, like Yeonjun and every other guardian Kai had ever seen, wore all black ensembles. “Hiyyih, your dorm is on the lower campus, so Daehyun is going to drive you and your bags over on one of the golf carts.”
Hiyyih turned to Kai with an alarmed look on her face. “I don’t want to go by myself,” she whispered to him, and she clutched onto the sleeve of his hoodie. At that moment, Hiyyih didn’t look like her usual confident self.
Kai looked back over at Seoah and asked, “Would it be possible for Hiyyih to come with us to my dorm room to drop my bags off and then we can all go and help her move into her dorm?”
“Of course,” Seoah said looking sympathetically between them. “I’ll have Daehyun drive Miss Huening’s bags over, and the rest of you can walk over unencumbered when you’re ready. You are free to settle in today, and you will start classes tomorrow. I’d like to say, again, welcome to Saint Agatha’s academy. I hope you will both have a great experience here.” Seoah bowed to them and gestured for the guardians to lead them back outside.